Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker met with a Vietnamese VIP delegation led by Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Municipal Party Committee, Vo Cong Tri, and accompanied by Vietnam’s ambassador to Qatar Nguyen Dinh Thao, yesterday for further talks on bolstering tourism between the two countries. The delegation included senior government officials representing Da Nang, Qatar Airways’ upcoming third Vietnamese destination on the award-winning airline’s rapidly expanding global network.Qatar Airways recently announced the launch of direct flights to Da Nang, Vietnam from December 19. The four-times-weekly flights will be served with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy.Addressing the delegation, al-Baker emphasised Qatar Airways’ ongoing commitment to boost tourism in Vietnam. “This year marks a historic milestone between the State of Qatar and Vietnam as we celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations and 11 years of service between Qatar Airways and Vietnam. Our current routes to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are already incredibly popular, and we are delighted to extend our reach into Vietnam with the upcoming launch of direct services to Da Nang, which demonstrates our commitment to further supporting the Vietnamese market.”Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s key port cities, boasts beaches with tranquil, clear blue water and offers breathtaking views all year round, making it an ideal vacation spot. Da Nang has also recently seen a tremendous increase in visitors, with a record-breaking 6.6mn tourists in 2017, double the number in 2013.Qatar Airways first commenced operations to Ho Chi Minh City in 2007, and was the first Gulf carrier to offer non-stop service to Vietnam’s largest city. Shortly afterwards, Hanoi was added to the airline’s fast-growing global network in 2010. Since the start of this year, passengers have benefited from frequency increases to both cities, with Qatar Airways now flying twice daily to Hanoi and 10 times a week to Ho Chi Minh City.